by Martha Rhodes

Created on: January 28, 2009

The Rob Roy cocktail is rumored to be born out of the auspicious Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City in the late 1800s when the opera "Rob Roy" was showing. Rob Roy Macgregor was a Scottish folk hero who's life attained notoriety when a fictionalized account of his life were described in the book Highland Rogue by Daniel DeFoe. Later works by Sir Walter Scott and William Wordsworth also served to perpetuate the fame of a person that most people would consider and outlaw and disgruntled character after reading the historical account of Rob Roy's life. Nevertheless the Rob Roy cocktail was a very popular cocktail for those who like Scotch. Angostura bitters are also a curious addition to cocktails. No one actually knows the true ingredients of Angostura bitters although gentian root is thought to be one of the ingredients. The bitters were originally developed in 1824 for those who had stomach/digestive ailments by Dr. J.G.B. Siegert who was the Surgeon General for Simon Bolivar's army in Venezuela.

Rob Roy Cocktail

1 1/2 oz Scotch

1/4 oz sweet vermouth

Angostura bitters to taste

Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice. Stir well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry. The Rob Roy can also be made "dry" or "perfect". For a dry Rob Roy: Substitute dry vermouth for the sweet vermouth garnish with an olive. For a perfect Rob Roy: Use a 1/4 oz. of both sweet and dry Vermouth and garnish.

Sparking some more recent interest, the Rob Roy was mentioned in the 1999 Brendan Fraser movie "Blast From The Past. " In the movie the character of "Adam Webber" refers to the drink "It's a Rob Roy, a very popular drink, I'm told." was meant to be a reference to the past popularity of the drink.

Wikipedia article on Rob Roy MacGregor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Roy_MacGregor

Angost ura Bitters Website: http://www.angosturabitters.com/default2.htm

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